Berrilyl's POVFinally, the engagement ceremony commenced. What I’d been waiting for was finally happening. It was going to take place, and I was going to ensure it became the most memorable engagement ever—not for love or celebration, but for the message I intended to send. I’d show him that no one, not even Cage, the ruthless Alpha, could mess with me.No one at all. I didn’t care that he was in a higher position than me. He would pay for locking me away for three days, for thinking he could mould me into the perfect bride with a snap of his fingers. As if I was some naive fool to be bent and shaped to his will. Even a toy deserved more respect than what he had shown me. But I wasn’t a doll, and I would endure whatever torture necessary to prove it.I remembered waking up after that ordeal, and seeing what I thought was concern on his face. But it vanished so quickly, replaced by that familiar anger, that I almost laughed at myself for thinking he might actually care. He was just li
Berrilyl's POVI couldn’t let Cage achieve his aim, not when he’d already taken so much from me. His control was suffocating, his demands endless, and his power unyielding. But today, I had done something he would never expect.I resorted to that one move, a desperate gamble born from sheer defiance because I knew how much Cage cared about his face—his reputation. The carefully constructed facade of invincibility made others cower before him. To tarnish that image, even just a little, was a victory worth savouring.And I had done just that. By letting a few choice words slip from my lips, I had struck at the very foundation of his authority. I told them that Cage had killed my husband and forced me into this marriage. The moment those words escaped me, the room erupted into chaos.Whispers rippled through the crowd like wildfire, growing louder with each passing second. My heart raced, not with fear, but with a strange, exhilarating sense of triumph. For once, I wasn’t the one trembli
Berrilyl's POVThe grand hall was a sea of faces, all turned toward me with expressions ranging from shock to horror. My heart pounded in my chest, but I didn’t falter. This was exactly what I wanted. I had already tarnished Cage’s image once, and now I was ready to twist the knife deeper.The murmurs continued among the crowd, low whispers rippling through the crowd. They were already talking about the accusations I had made before—about Cage killing my husband and forcing me into this engagement. It had caused a scandal of epic proportions, one that still lingered in the air like a storm cloud.It had made this engagement he had been planning for a long time falls and crumble. The best thing about what was going on was that he was watching it as it spoiled without being able to do anything to stop it. He must have surely never imagined that this day would end up being like this. He must have thought it would go smoothly and I was happy with what I did.But that wasn’t enough. Not y
Berrilyl's POVStanding by the grand window of the hall, the warm light from the chandeliers cast a glow on the chaos my actions had sparked. The room had finally quieted down, guests dispersing in awkward clusters, murmuring their disbelief at the spectacle I had made. But I didn't care about their whispers or their judgment. I'd made my move, and I wouldn't apologize for it.Heavy footsteps pounded their way up to me, and I sat up straight instinctively. I didn't have to turn around to know who this was. His presence smothered me."Berrilyl," his voice cut low, words dripping in anger that barely masked the frustration. "Why in the name of all that's unholy did you have to ruin my plan?I didn't answer. My hands wrapped around the edge of the windowsill, the cold biting into my palms. I kept my gaze fixed outside, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing the reaction on my face."Berrilyl," he repeated, his voice rising slightly. "I asked you a question."I still didn't answe
Berrilyl's POVHe won't spare me, I thought bitterly, my nails digging into my palms. Cage's anger earlier in the hall had been volcanic, his words searing like lava. But what more could he do? Wasn't he satisfied with the damage he'd already caused?But I knew better. Cage wasn't the kind of man to stop at humiliation. If he wanted to make an example of me, he would.The thought sent a cold shiver running down my spine. I had just started to get better, my body healing from the last round of torment I'd had to endure upon his orders. If he had me whipped again, especially with a whip laced with wolfsbane, I wasn't so sure my body could handle it.I gritted my teeth, furious with myself even for letting the thought creep in. No, I told myself firmly, I won't beg. Not to him. Not to anyone.The minutes ticked by, dragging their feet like hours as I paced my room. The possibilities whirled round in my mind, intermingled with plans and defiance. But it was all so futile. It seemed the wa
Berrilyl’s POVI was very terrified, terrified than I had expected. Things were becoming as crazy as the people in the engagement hall had predicted. It was obviously going to be a very spectacular nightmare.Before I could say anything I was dragged and beaten in front of the crowd. There was nothing I could do but scream.The sting of the whip seared through my skin, sharp and unforgiving. I couldn’t stop the cry that tore itself from my throat, but it did nothing to stop the onslaught. Every strike felt like fire against my already bruised body. I had never imagined that I would be reduced to this—this pain, this humiliation, and above all, this sense of helplessness.I had been dragged into this mess, shackled by the lies Grace had so easily woven. But this punishment, this brutal whipping, was not just for what had happened, it was a result of everything I had become in their eyes. I could feel the blood seeping through my torn dress, pooling at my feet, a bitter reminder of the
Berrilyl’s POVGrace had found the perfect time to pin the blame on me. Now that Cage was annoyed with me it would be so easy for him to believe in Grace's lie. I knew I was going to be punished but I didn't expect that I would be a public slave and now I was said to be a spy. The weight of what was happening hit me like a tidal wave. I had always known Grace was a spy—there were too many small things about her that never added up, the way she could slip in and out of conversations without drawing attention, how she always seemed to be one step ahead. But now, at this moment, as everything I’d known began to unravel, I realized just how deep her manipulation ran.She wasn’t just a spy. Grace was something far worse—someone who had wormed her way into the most trusted circles, and she had manipulated everyone, even Cage. How else could she have turned everything I’d worked for against me so effortlessly? How else could she have made a man like Cage believe in her lies so fully? How d
Berrilyl's POVThe room felt as though it were closing in on me. Like arrows, accusations were flying around, each sharper than the last. Every voice around me seemed to grow louder, their words harsher. It suffocated me."You've endangered the pack, Berrilyl!" someone yelled."How many more chances do you expect us to give you?" another growled.She's a traitor. Always has been."I froze, my fists shaking at my sides. My heart drummed loudly in my ears, drowning out the chaos for a second. Then Cage's voice cut through the noise."Enough.The room fell silent. Everybody was now looking at him, but I just could not drag my gaze away from his face. His chilling eyes were set on me; the prey at the side, cornered by a predator."Berrilyl," he started saying, almost in derision, "do you have any idea how insecure this pack has been made to feel because of you? Do you even fathom what you have brought them to?"I blinked, my throat tightening. "I haven't done anything," I managed, though
Cage's POVHe instantly understood what I said and in a jiffy, new secret guards streamed in and surrounded the rouges.The rouges stumbled backwards, their eyes darting wildly as they struggled to process the sudden turn of events. Their leader's face contorted into a mixture of disbelief and fear. His shoulders sagged as his confidence fell. He looked at me with regret, his composure almost slipping."This shouldn't be happening!" He exclaimed, his voice shattering into a thousand pieces. "Fight back. Fight With your best," one of the rogue leaders ordered as he saw his rouge warriors getting overpowered."It's way too late for that. The probability of you guys winning is too thin. You better accept defeat" I looked him straight in the eye and told him.He unleashed a fury of rage, launching himself at me with tremendous force. Anticipating his attack, I swiftly moved away, blocking it. With a loud growl, he sped past me and slammed into the wall."Oops," I grinned with satisfaction
Cage's POVThe instant the scream from Berrilyl reached my ears, my heart contracted in a way it shouldn't have. My body had moved well before my brain kicked in and I turned sharply in the direction of her voice. I caught her running toward me, a look of concern twisting her face, along with something else, it was fear.In That split second, the distraction almost cost me my life.A rogue caught me out of focus and charged at me, his blade was aimed right at my exposed side; I barely had time to react. Instinct kicked in, and I twisted my body in time, the blade grazing across my ribs instead of burying into my flesh. The pain was sharp, but I pushed it aside, countering it with a vicious strike that sent the rogue stumbling back.I hadn't had a chance to finish him off.Berrilyl was too close now, too close."What are you doing?!" I snapped at her, latching onto her arm and yanking her behind me. My grip was firm as my heart still hammered in my chest from the near miss.The rogue
Cage's POVTonight, the air is weighted with unvoiced challenge. I sit at the far edge of Mansion's yard, my body bent and tensed on guard. The torches from behind the stone walls seemed to threaten and would violently hang, casting malicious shadowing alongside me in silence. Miliano stood on my right-hand side, still as a ghoulish smile stretched his tanned skin from nose to neck end."Bring the secret guard and surround the Mansion," I ordered, having my voice drop steady, emotionless when inside me chaos brewed.Miliano nodded profoundly. "Aye." And with that, he turned on his heel and motioned for the men we had trained in secret to take their position. They shifted like ghosts and moved into their positions, efficient but silent; slipping into darkness as if they were spawned from it.Just as we were going to make our move, I felt it, the unnatural shift in the air, followed by the distant yet unmistakable sound of approaching footsteps. Lots of them. My instincts screamed a war
Berrilyl's POV I was sitting in my room, my mind spinning from everything Cage had shown me earlier. The pictures, the messages, the so-called evidence. I couldn’t make sense of it. My thoughts were all jumbled, and no matter how hard I tried to push them away, they kept coming back.How could Owen—someone I thought I knew—do something like that? He wouldn’t cheat on me, especially not with someone like that young mistress. And how does Cage have all this evidence? The more I thought about it, the more confused I became. It just didn’t add up. But I had no answers, and all I could do was try to sleep and hope my mind would stop racing.I was lost in thought until my eyes started closing up. As soon as I started to drift off, the loud sound of an alarm shattered the silence. My eyes shot open, heart racing. The sound was so harsh, so urgent. Then came the footsteps—the hurried thud of boots across the floor, the sound of people running. My mind couldn’t catch up to what was happening,
Berrilyl's POVI couldn't believe that Cage could still fabricate evidence to fool me. All along, I knew he was clever and knew how to play the game-twisting realities to his advantage-but never did I think he would go that far. It was using my emotions, trust, and vulnerability to his advantage, and it seemed in the worst possible way-a betrayal.I stood there, frozen in absolute disbelief as Cage laid before me what felt like a mountain of photographs, messages, and documents. Overwhelmingly, each bit of "evidence" that he had in his hands seemed to lead me further down the path on which I really did not want to tread. How could he do it? How could he lie to me so in my face, knowing how much I love Owen?A rage bubbled in my chest, and I couldn't hold it inside anymore. "You're lying!" I screamed, my voice cracking. The words tasted bitter in my mouth, but they needed to be said. There was no other way. "You're just trying to manipulate me, Cage. You think I'll believe this garbage
Cage's POVThe next day, I made a maid bring Berrilyl to my chambers. As she entered, I was relieved to see that her complexion was better. The dad's circles under her had faded, and her skin had regained some of its natural glow.I felt glad that she was finally out of being a public slave, even though it was me who turned her into one. The humility from that young mistress annoyed me and it was time to make her pay and maybe make Berrilyl hate her more.But I didn't show my relief; I remained in my usual stoic expression, not wanting to give away concern for her well-being. I had specifically ordered the kitchen not to disturb Berrilyl for a few days, and to just deliver her meals at the appropriate time. She had to gain her strength before she would be able to do anything. I wanted her to rest. What I put her through was hard, not only for her. It was also hard for me to keep her there but sometimes I convinced myself that she deserved it. As u looked at her, I could see the ex
Cage's POVI was sitting in my room, lost in thought when a guard burst in. His was distorted, and I could tell from his exasperation that he had run all the way here."Sir, Beta Milano and his group have returned", he said, but his voice was laced with a sense of urgency that baffled me."What is it?" I asked, my mind already racing with possibilities; I hope it wasn't true."Sir, he and his group are injured" the guard replied, his voice tight with concern. "They're in the infirmary"I didn't hesitate. I rushed to the infirmary with my heart pounding in my chest. I just hoped that whatever happened wasn't so severe and he was still okay.When I arrived, I was met with a scene of chaos. Most of the warriors were injured, some more seriously than the others, but I didn't see any dead bodies, so I was thankful, although I wasn't sure.Milano himself was lying on a bed, his face pale and drawn. His injuries and those of other warriors were been taken care of.I rushed to his side, my mi
Berrilyl's POVI watched him go, storming off heavily in anger and frustration. I hesitated a moment before stepping from behind the screen of shadows. Talia stood there, her back to me, but I could see her shoulders quivering a bit."You're not even going to ask how long I've been standing there?" I said, stepping closer. My voice was calm, teasing even, but my words didn't weigh quite as much as usual.Talia didn't flinch. She didn't turn around in surprise as I had anticipated.I already knew you were there, she said in a low voice.That threw me off. Talia was never anything but sharp-tongued, always ready with either an acid comment or a glare to dismiss with. Now, however, her voice came soft and unreadable, and her face finally turned toward me. But what was surprising was tears in her eyes, swimming at the edges, threatening to spill, she kept blinking over and over again trying to push them away.For whatever reason, that expression in that pose got through. Sympathy, perhaps
Berrilyl's POVI wasn't eavesdropping not this time, anyway and I certainly wasn't trying to spy on them. Curiosity held me firmly in my hiding place, though, when Jake's voice started rising in frustration."Talia," he started, his words tight with frustration, "Why have you been avoiding me? What have I done to treat you like the monster that makes you shun me?Talia hesitated. Not seeing her face, I could sense her uneasiness at the long silence that followed. She always faltered in confrontation."It's not that, Jake," she said finally, barely above a whisper. "I'm not avoiding you because you've done anything wrong. I just don't want to. The others to misunderstand."Jake scoffed. “Misunderstand what, exactly? That we’re friends? That we’ve known each other for some time now? Is that something to be ashamed of now?”His frustration was palpable, and it wasn’t hard to see why. Jake had always been a straightforward kind of man, someone who spoke his mind without worrying about jud